“These changes are so drastic and so detrimental to
‘my kids' and other Americans with progressive diseases that
I'm prepared to drop everything and address this issue
personally.”
— Actor Jerry Lewis, in a letter last month to HHS
Secretary Mike Leavitt protesting reimbursement cuts in CMS' power
mobility device fee schedule
Source: Muscular Dystrophy Association
1 in 3 Americans born in 2000 is expected to develop diabetes.
Source: American Diabetes Association
55% of adult type 2 diabetics who used an insulin pen in a recent study adhered to their medication guidelines compared to 36 percent who used a syringe.
Source: Abt Associates
$33.6 billion Amount American companies lose per year from demands on employees who have to care for incapacitated loved ones, like an aging parent
Source: MetLife Mature Market Institute
$1.5 billion Amount recovered by the Medicare Anti-Fraud Program in 2005
Source: HHS Office of Inspector General
2.8% Average rate of increase in Medicaid spending in fiscal 2006, the lowest rate in 10 years, mostly from improvements in the economy and stricter cost controls by states
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
330 Approximate number of calories per hour a 154-pound person burns while dancing, golfing or doing light gardening or yard work
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
